HoneySuckleDreams

Nick, unfortunately it doesn't include anything else, pose&renovation were separate.  He has been doing the work on and off...actually lots of off, since last May, an hour or two every 4 or five weeks. As he has come in to do emergency repairs before it seemed like a good idea at the time to get him to do the rest as he lives round the corner and does work for others in the village. I will measure all the lengths and ask him to tell me where he buys is tube.  As he gets it in 100m lengths I would think he gets it cheaper.  I have subsequently met an english plumber down here and i'll ask him what he thinks.  If he thinks it reasonable I'll put it down to experience and next time I buy a house and renovate it (as if!) i'll do the plumbing myself. I'm just getting fed up with being shafted because i'm english and obviously a millionaire. b.t.w Manifolds were made up with bent bits of copper and a blow torch

I've just been given a bill which included 880Euro for the PER tube to redo 5 rads and replace the mains hot/cold supplies. Does this seem excessive? Has anyone got a cost per m for the 20/16/12 mm sizes?   Thanks

Thanks for the above information. I've found the original thread now (once I spelt Grundfos correctly).  Unfortunately I have no choice but to use one so I will be of to the plumbers merchants next week to have a rootle through what they have to offer. The Grundfos one I am looking at seems to be a little expensive so I'll look at the brico marques as well.

Hi I read somewhere on this forum that Gundfoss do a Macerator and could be the best buy, but I can't find the post again. Any one had any luck with these? Or should I just stick with a Saniflo one.  I need shower/WC/basin waste all going into it and the length of discharge is about 25m   Many thanks

I can understand that.  However, I'm intending to be a Conseil de Logiciel (or some such title as the lady at URSSAF didn't like me calling myself a "Consultant") , so no sales or TVA. Thinking of the right title for what you do seems to be an important factor. Still thinking carefully about it all. 

Hi I have heard that the maximum you can earn in a Micro-bic regime is going up in 2007 from 27K to something over 30K, I have also heard that the Abatament fiscal (??) where your costs are deducted before you start paying tax/cotisations is also going up to 50%. Can anyone confirm this?  Regards

I have a large tin of Boiled Linseed Boil but it's no good for Cricket bat maintenance. Does any one know where I can buy Raw Linseed Oil?

The pool is finished and full of water, and i'm busy finishing of the terracing in preparation for fitting a cover/fence. Do i get any leeway from the authorities as to how long I have before I have to comply to the saftey norms? Does it have to be immediately on pool filling? The pool itself is in a secure garden at the moment, away from the public, so I don't have a problem feeling it's "unsafe", and it's always supervised when the kiddies are in...but I'm rushing to get things done asap.  so as to conform as soon as possible.  

I know this is a bit late now, but i can add what I was quoted (and thought was expensive).  Mason bloke wanted 10€ per m2 for laying concrete base, I had to supply the concrete/reinforcement/expansion joints, and then 35€ per m2 for laying dalle on sand/cement screed, again, me supplying the sand/cement for the screed. For 160m2 it works out at: 1600 + 5600 (7200€ labour) and about 2500 for sand/cement other bits and bobs. I assume also that this was going to be all cash as he was working 2 days a week for himself, the other 3 for the pool company. So I concur with the last poster.... 6800 all in sounds about right for 75m2 if it's all guaranteed/tva'd and not on the black and if they are supplying all the materials as well. As time is something I have lots of, i'm doing it myself.  Probably be done in time for next season tho!

yes....hmmm...any document that mentions "Stakeholder Engagement" gets the thumbs up from me ! Shame they don't spend the time actually employing more people with letter openers and getting the job done, rather than paying some bloke in red braces to draft some corporate twaddle.  

I don't know of an offical route. I complained last year and wrote to "The Director" of the Tax Office I was dealing with and it filtered down to a minion in customer relations.  It's a shame, when they are chasing me for money, that I can't use the argument that my post room is inundated and there will be a 4 month delay!

My pennies worth: I'm waiting for a tax rebate for 2006/2007 as I paid a bit too much last year. I have to deal with the Leicester Tax office unfortunately... I was told today that they are currently dealing with tax returns submitted on the 26th April!!  They finally recorded mine on the system August 7th, after I originally sent things through to them at the beginning of April.  By my reckoning it will be christmas before I get anything, a full 8 months after first contact.  New procedures are to blame apparently.  However, if I wish to complain then I can, and complaining is the only way to get them to change procedures.  So I look forward to the same "New procedures are to blame" excuse next year as well!

Scotty The suspentes are only useful if you want to build a flat, straight ceiling away from the rafters.  I think you want to attach the plasterboard between the rafters? battens will be fine for this.  I'm using the suspentes to make sure the new ceiling projects beyond the line of the rafters as it would have been too much effort in cutting each piece of plasterboard to fit (rafters are all different thicknesses... have a look at the width at the bottom and the top...if it's a new roof you might be OK, but old properties don't make it easy to infill between). Plus I want to put some downlighters in, and I would not have enough space between the tiles and the plasterboard if i just screwed the plaster board into the rafters.  Once you have put your battens up the rockwool should stay in place...or put a batten across at various points to keep it in. Have fun

What a bizarre coincidence as i've just started fumbling with loft insulation  this very evening and would like to ask a similar question: I'm using those suspente thingies...short bits if steel you screw/nail into the rafters to make it all level and then attach the slimline rails, which you then screw your plaster board onto.   I've just spent an hour trying to fit one piece of 11 layer insulation.. the thin foil stuff over the top of the suspentes (cutting holes for the things) and nailing it in place.  I have to cut short pieces because the distance from wall plate to 1st beam is 165cm i.e. > 145 which is the width the insulation comes in... so I have to fit it vertically not horizantally... I know what i'm talking about anyway! On that time scale it will take me about 8 days to just fix the insulation...even if I get myself together a bit more. Anyway... simple question... can I fit the insulation directly onto the horizantal rails for the ceiling (fit all the rails first), i.e. no gap between the isolante and the plaster board? Will i get condensation? I've got plenty of gap behind the isolante and tiles. I would like to do it right the 1st time. thanks p.s.I apologise if someone has discussed this before, but i've tried using the search box on the forum but keep getting an error message thus : Server Error in '/cs' Application ... any webmeisters out there who can help? as my pet geek is on holiday 

Thanks Val_2   ... have you got any names of stockists? I tried CEF as I've not even bothered to look in the DIY sheds as I know I wont find them there  

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes Nick, it's the "BS16" ones I'm looking for.  I was quoted 11euro each hors tax and they would only sell me a box of 10, then they said they were'nt available anymore. I have done much of what was said above, e.g. changed plugs on most of my stuff. (All those nice molded plugs you get with your PC stuff have been binned)  I was thinking it would be nice to offer at least one guest room with one BS16 so those people who arrive with mobile phones/mp3/ipods blah blah etc thingys don't have a problem plugging them in. I might just by a load of the 2pin to 3pin connectors next time I pass through a ferry/airport. Thanks anyway

The Legrand catalogue shows you can get BS standard plug sockets (the legrand number is 084234)  I only want 1 or 2 for visiting guests. When I tried to order them at the local CEF they reckon Legrand are not supplying them anymore. As (I think) you had to order a box of 10, does anyone have any left over from any renovations? I currently use a 5 gang UK socket extension, but don't fancy the paperwork if the house burns down.  Or if anyone knows of anywhere that has a stock of them I would appreciate it. Many thanks

thanks for all the advice folks. Job Done now.  Very nice man with a tractor and large tank emptied it all and cleaned it all out.  Turned out it was only 1000l ... no wonder we were having problems. I filled it back in with the cheapest small stones I could find and put a concrete top on.  NO MORE SMELLS [:D] fantastic... should have done it last year...

Its that time of year again for Tax returns.... Can anyone give me any advice on how I declare an execution of a share option?  Which forms do I need to ask for? I've paid tax on the execution of some of the shares in the UK (as they were unapproved shares) so I'm hoping I won't have to pay any French tax....but i'm not sure. Thanks awfully  

There is lots of stuff on the Forums about putting in a new Fosse, but I can't find anything about filling in the old redundant one.  Has anyone done this? Our new fosse is finally up and running now but I'm not sure what to do about the old one.  If it were not actually under our house (under the utility/washroom room) I would just leave it alone.  Do I have to empty it and then fill it up again with Sand/Water/Cement?  Many thanks

Just a quicky.... I want to put our boiler (Biasi - fuel oil fired) on to a separate disjoncteur, so I can meddle with it in isolation without turning all the rest of the electrics in the house off.  At the moment it's plugged into a normal plug on the wall.  Can anyone tell me if it should be a 10A/16A/20A or lower? Or how to calculate it? 

Thank you everyone for your input into this... can of worms springs to mind! Going back to basics...  Do you actually need to have a Conseul inspection? As i am renovating and not building from new.  If not... does it matter if NF isn't stamped on the light switches?  I am running earths to all light switches anyway, just in case I fit any metal fittings rather than plastic. All plug sockets will have to be sourced in France, and I assume, stamped NF, and I'm going to fit some "british" 3 pin plug sockets (sourced from Legrand) for the stuff, like hairdryers that I can't be bothered changing the plugs on (and for visitors mobile phone chargers).  I'm starting to think that... to hell with it... and fit things I like and argue the toss that I've actually spent more care and attention in rewiring the place than the original electricians did.  And if I ever sell up/leave, to fit the shonky brico white plastic stuff as a leaving present.

Does anyone know where you can buy "nice" light switches?  The only ones I can find that come close to being acceptable are the Legrand Segano line.  In the UK you can have literally 1000's of different designer types... copper back plates "Georgian" brass , wood etc.  This is chic france afterall, and I can't image all those nice Parisian appartments having BricoDepot white plastic switches.  I'm tempted to buy from the UK, but as it will have BS rather than NF stamped on it, I'm a little reluctant.

tj   many thanks for the rehau assainissement post.  It looks like the french might have finally read the book of common sense after all. But i have yet to see this stuff anywhere.  Somthing to note for others anyway.  

further to my flippant comment about the earth not moving for me yet, living in a seismic area... we've just had quake of magnitude 5.2... enough to swing the lights and rattle the radiators. ho hum.  of out to check my pipes